Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
initial stress

initial stress

5.6
A strong sound on the first syllable of a word
  • noun
  • /ɪˈnɪʃəl strɛs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : acento inicial
  • Learning about initial stress helps students pronounce words correctly and sound more fluent in conversation.

Examples

  • I also introduce here an initial stress which might already be in the body.

  • In English, the word 'banana' has an initial stress on the second syllable, while in Spanish, it is placed on the last syllable.

  • Many English words like 'computer' feature initial stress, which can help learners identify syllable emphasis.

How Stressed

stress
1 3.2
initial stress
  • Specialized
5.6

Surface Forms

initial stress singular
initial stresses plural

Morphology

initial + stress

The meaning 'placement of accent on the first syllable' is directly and compositionally derived from 'initial' (occurring at the start) combined with 'stress' (accentuation). This adjective+noun construction follows a regular, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Initial stress comes from a simple image: initial means the first part and stress means a strong beat or emphasis, like a small spotlight on the first part of a word. So, initial stress means 'emphasis on the first syllable'.